Eisen Lab Blog

At #UCDavis 1/22 Dr. Debra G.B. Leonard on “”Leaning In and Moving Up”

UC Davis Women in Medicine and Health Sciences

WIMHS, in Partnership with the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

PRESENTS:
Debra G.B. Leonard, MD, PhD Professor and Chair

“Leaning In and Moving Up”

January 22, 2015

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

(Broadway Café box-lunch provided)

FSSB Building, Room 2030 4800 2nd Avenue, Sacramento

Register Online:

https://somapp.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/academicaffairs /courses/secure/Courses.cfm?Status=10

Dr. Debra G.B. Leonard served as Chief Diversity Officer at Weill-Cornell Medical School. Dr. Leonard will discuss her experience with best practices and challenges in diversifying faculty from her perspective while at WCU.

Debra G. B. Leonard, MD, PhD Professor and Chair Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine University of Vermont Medical Center

WIMHS: http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/wimhs/index.html WIMHSFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/UC- Davis-Women–in-Medicine-and_Science/218743748158322

Jan_2015_WIMHS_Leonard_Lecture_Flyer.pdf

A night with Matt Groening and the importance of faeces, feces and faces

So – I participated in a fundraiser for Emily Levine’s “The Edge of Chaos” film a week ago. And one of the key guests was Matt Groening. Not only did I get to hang out with him and discuss fecal transplants with him (really) but I had a front row seat to Matt discussing the history of how he came up with the general outline of the Simpson’s characters.

And in addition to this being just awesome to witness, one part of it struck me. See the video below and in particular the part that struck me was the beginning:

 

Groening
basically said that only a few simple changes in faces can be recognized by people very easily. This reminds me of Jenna Lang’s talk at the Lake Arrowhead meeting this year where she discussed using facial drawings as a form of visualizing microbiome data.

So – since I discussed fecal transplants with Matt and since he gave a good description of facial characteristics being easy to identify, I think we should definitely (1) try and get him to include microbiomes on the Simpsons and (2) for our work we should use Simpsons characters as model faces for different microbiomes …

Oh and I also showed Groening some of the pics of my kids reading his “Hell” books:

So – basically it was a night of feces, faeces and faces.  Seems ideal.
——–
This is from the “Tree of Life Blog”
of Jonathan Eisen, an evolutionary biologist and Open Access advocate
at the University of California, Davis. For short updates, follow me on Twitter.

——–

Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation hiring a Program Officer for the Marine Microbiology Initative

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation is hiring a Program Officer for their Marine Microbiology Initative (see attachment). I love the Marine Microbiology Initiative and this could be a very interesting job. See http://www.moore.org/about/careers for more info.

MMI Program Officer job description.pdf

Whole issues of Genome Biology/Genome Medicine on "Genomics of Infectious Disease"

Wow this has really got some nice papers: BioMed Central | Article collections | Genomics of infectious diseases special issue.  I note – this goes well as a follow up to the series I co-coordinated in PLOS a few years back: Genomics of Emerging Infectious Disease – PLOS Collections

From their site:

Infectious diseases are major contributors to global morbidity and mortality, and have a devastating impact on public health. The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 3 deaths worldwide are due to an infectious disease, with a disproportionate number occurring in developing regions. 

While the completion of the first genome sequence of a pathogen, Haemophilus influenzae, in 1995 took decades of work, in recent years, high-throughput technologies have revolutionized the study of pathogens. Whole-genome sequences are now achievable within days and available for multiple pathogens, including those that cause neglected tropical diseases, which has advanced our understanding of the biology and evolution of pathogens. Crucially, such research has enabled important advances in the clinical management of infectious diseases, and continues to guide public health interventions worldwide. 

In this cross-journal special issue, guest edited by George Weinstock (The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, USA) and Sharon Peacock (University of Cambridge, UK), Genome Biology and Genome Medicine take stock of where we are now, with a collection of primary research and commissioned articles that discuss different aspects of the genomics of infectious diseases in human populations, including the progress made towards their eradication, and the remaining challenges in terms of both fundamental science and clinical management.

I have copied the list from their site (I am pretty sure this is OK since these are #OpenAccess journals but not 100% sure):


Editorial   Open Access
Ripudaman K Bains Genome Biology 2014, 15:529 (22 November 2014)
Abstract | Full text | PDF| Editor’s summary
Review   Subscription
Lucy M Li, Nicholas C Grassly, Christophe Fraser Genome Biology 2014, 15:541 (22 November 2014)
Abstract | Full text | PDF| Editor’s summary
Research   Open Access
Hayley M Bennett, Hoi Ping Mok, Effrossyni Gkrania-Klotsas, Eleanor J Stanley,
Isheng J Tsai, Nagui M Antoun, Avril Coghlan, Bhavana Harsha, Alessandra Traini, 
Diogo M Ribeiro, Sascha Steinbass, Sebastian B Lucas, Kieren S.J Allinson, 
Stephen J Price, Thomas S Santarius, Andrew J Carmichael, Peter L Chiodini, 
Nancy Holroyd, Andrew F Dean, Matthew Berriman 
Genome Biology 2014, 15:510 (21 November 2014)
Abstract | Provisional PDF| Editor’s summary
Research highlight   Subscription
Patrick Tang, Jennifer L Gardy Genome Medicine 2014, 6:104 (20 November 2014)
Abstract | Full text | PDF| Editor’s summary
Software   Open Access
Darren Abbey, Jason Funt, Mor N Lurie-Weinberger, Dawn A Thompson, Aviv Regev,
Chad L Myers,
Judith Berman Genome Medicine 2014, 6:100 (20 November 2014)
Abstract | Provisional PDF| Editor’s summary
Comment   Subscription
Jeffrey S McLean, Roger S Lasken Genome Medicine 2014, 6:108 (20 November 2014)
Abstract | Full text | PDF| Editor’s summary
Software   Open Access
Michael Inouye, Harriet Dashnow, Lesley-Ann Raven, Mark B Schultz, Bernard J Pope,
Takehiro Tomita, Justin Zobel, Kathryn E Holt 
Genome Medicine 2014, 6:90 (20 November 2014)
Abstract | Full text | PDF| Editor’s summary
Research   Open Access
Mihail R Halachev, Jacqueline Chan, Chrystala I Constantinidou, Nicola Cumley,
Craig Bradley, Matthew Smith-Banks, Beryl Oppenheim, Mark J Pallen 
Genome Medicine 2014, 6:70 (20 November 2014)
Abstract | Full text | PDF| Editor’s summary
Editorial   Open Access
George M Weinstock, Sharon J Peacock Genome Biology 2014, 15:528 (19 November 2014)
Abstract | Full text | PDF| Editor’s summary
Software   Open Access
Todd J Treangen, Brian D Ondov, Sergey Koren, Adam M Phillippy Genome Biology 2014, 15:524 (19 November 2014)
Abstract | Provisional PDF| Editor’s summary
Method   Open Access
Lewis Z Hong, Shuzhen Hong, Han Teng Wong, Pauline PK Aw, Cheng Yan, Andreas Wilm,
Paola F de Sessions, Seng Gee Lim, Niranjan Nagarajan, Martin L Hibberd, Stephen R Quake,
William F Burkholder Genome Biology 2014, 15:517 (19 November 2014)
Abstract | Provisional PDF| Editor’s summary
Editorial   Open Access
Sharon J Peacock, George M Weinstock Genome Medicine 2014, 6:103 (19 November 2014)
Abstract | Full text | PDF| Editor’s summary
Opinion   Free
Gail Geller, Rachel Dvoskin, Chloe L Thio, Priya Duggal, Michelle H Lewis, Theodore C Bailey,
Andrea Sutherland, Daniel A Salmon, Jeffrey P Kahn Genome Medicine 2014, 6:106 (18 November 2014)
Abstract | Full text | PDF| Editor’s summary
Review   Subscription
Yonatan H Grad, Marc Lipsitch Genome Biology 2014, 15:538 (18 November 2014)
Abstract | Full text | PDF| Editor’s summary
Method   Open Access
Christian B Matranga, Kristian G Andersen, Sarah Winnicki, Michele Busby,
Adrianne D Gladden, Ryan Tewhey, Matthew Stremlau, Aaron Berlin, Stephen K Gire, 
Eleina England, Lina M Moses, Tarjei S Mikkelsen, Ikponmwosa Odia, Philomena E Ehiane, 
Onikepe Folarin, Augustine Goba, S.Humarr Khan, Donald S Grant, Anna Honko, 
Lisa Hensley, Christian Happi, Robert F Garry, Christine M Malboeuf, Bruce W Birren, 
Andreas Gnirke, Joshua Z Levin, Pardis C Sabeti

Genome Biology 2014, 15:519 (18 November 2014)

Abstract | Provisional PDF | PubMed| Editor’s summary
Research   Open Access
Yanjiao Zhou, Martin J Holland, Pateh Makalo, Hassan Joof, Chrissy h Roberts,
David Maybe, Robin L Bailey, Matthew J Burton, George M Weinstock, Sarah E Burr 
Genome Medicine 2014, 6:99 (15 November 2014)
Abstract | Provisional PDF| Editor’s summary
Research   Open Access
James W Wynne, Brian J Shiell, Glenn A Marsh, Victoria Boyd, Jennifer A Harper,
Kate Heesom, Paul Monaghan, Peng Zhou, Jean Payne, Reuben Klein, Shawn Todd, 
Lawrence Mok, Diane Green, John Bingham, Mary Tachedjian, Michelle L Baker, 
David Matthews, Lin-Fa Wang 
Genome Biology 2014, 15:532 (15 November 2014)
Abstract | Provisional PDF | PubMed| Editor’s summary
Method   Open Access
Maha R Farhat, B Shapiro, Samuel K Sheppard, Caroline Colijn, Megan Murray Genome Medicine 2014, 6:101 (15 November 2014)
Abstract | Provisional PDF| Editor’s summary
Review   Subscription
Paolo Gabrieli, Andrea Smidler, Flaminia Catteruccia Genome Biology 2014, 15:535 (15 November 2014)
Abstract | Full text | PDF| Editor’s summary
Research   Open Access
Jonathan D Herman, Daniel P Rice, Ulf Ribacke, Jacob Silterra, Amy A Deik, Eli Moss,
Kate M Broadbent, Daniel E Neafsey, Michael M Desai, Clary B Clish, Ralph Mazitschek,
Dyann F Wirth Genome Biology 2014, 15:511 (14 November 2014)
Abstract | Provisional PDF| Editor’s summary
Research highlight   Subscription
Anastasia Koch, Robert Wilkinson Genome Biology 2014, 15:520 (13 November 2014)
Abstract | Full text | PDF| Editor’s summary
Research highlight   Subscription
Chase L Beisel, Ahmed A Gomaa, Rodolphe Barrangou Genome Biology 2014, 15:516 (8 November 2014)
Abstract | Full text | PDF| Editor’s summary
Research   Open Access Highly Accessed
Vegard Eldholm, Gunnstein Norheim, Bent von der Lippe, Wibeke Kinander,
Ulf R Dahle, Dominique A Caugant, Turid Mannsåker, Anne Mengshoel, 
Anne Dyrhol-Riise, Francois Balloux 
Genome Biology 2014, 15:490 (7 November 2014)
Abstract | Full text | PDF| Editor’s summary
Opinion   Open Access
Digby F Warner, Valerie Mizrahi Genome Biology 2014, 15:514 (7 November 2014)
Abstract | Full text | PDF | PubMed| Editor’s summary
Comment   Open Access Highly Accessed
Onikepe A Folarin, Anise N Happi, Christian T Happi Genome Biology 2014, 15:515 (7 November 2014)
Abstract | Full text | PDF| Editor’s summary
Research highlight   Subscription
Eric J Vallender Genome Biology 2014, 15:507 (7 November 2014)
Abstract | Full text | PDF| Editor’s summary
Research   Open Access
Adam J Ericsen, Gabriel J Starrett, Justin M Greene, Michael Lauck, Muthuswamy Raveendran,
 David Deiros, Mariel S Mohns, Nicolas Vince, Brian T Cain, Ngoc H Pham, Jason T Weinfurter,
Adam L Bailey, Melisa L Budde, Roger W Wiseman, Richard Gibbs, Donna Muzny, T
homas C Friedrich, Jeffrey Rogers, David H O’Connor Genome Biology 2014, 15:478 (7 November 2014)
Abstract | Full text | PDF| Editor’s summary
Research   Open Access
Laura Gomez Valero, Christophe Rusniok, Monica Rolando, Mario Neou,
Delphine Dervins-Ravault, Jasmin Demirtas, Zoe Rouy, Robert J Moore, Honglei Chen, 
Nicola K Petty, Sophie Jarraud, Jerome Etienne, Michael Steinert, Klaus Heuner, 
Simonetta Gribaldo, Claudine Médigue, Gernot Glöckner, Elizabeth L Hartland, 
Carmen Buchrieser 
Genome Biology 2014, 15:505 (3 November 2014)
Abstract | Provisional PDF| Editor’s summary
Research   Open Access
Frank Hanses, Christelle Roux, Paul M Dunman, Bernd Salzberger, Jean C Lee Genome Medicine 2014, 6:93 (3 November 2014)
Abstract | Full text | PDF | PubMed| Editor’s summary
Research   Open Access Highly Accessed
Paul McAdam, Charles vander broek, Diane Lindsay, Melissa Ward, Mary Hanson,
Michael Gillies, Mike Watson, Joanne Stevens, Giles Edwards, Ross Fitzgerald 
Genome Biology 2014, 15:504 (3 November 2014)
Abstract | Provisional PDF | PubMed| Editor’s summary
Research   Open Access Highly Accessed
Tige R Rustad, Kyle J Minch, Shuyi Ma, Jessica K Winkler, Samuel Hobbes, Mark J Hickey,
William Brabant, Serdar Turkarslan, Nathan D Price, Nitin S Baliga, David R Sherman Genome Biology 2014, 15:502 (3 November 2014)
Abstract | Provisional PDF | PubMed| Editor’s summary
——–
This is from the “Tree of Life Blog”
of Jonathan Eisen, an evolutionary biologist and Open Access advocate
at the University of California, Davis. For short updates, follow me on Twitter.

——–

Strangest microbial headline of month: Bacteria on Russian ‘sex satellite’ survive reentry

There is really not much to say other than to point everyone to this article: Bacteria on Russian ‘sex satellite’ survive reentry | Science | The Guardian

It defininely wins the strangest microbial headline of the month.  The article restates some of the silly claims about how what they are finding supports panspermia .. but ignore the article and just enjoy the headline.

——–
This is from the “Tree of Life Blog”
of Jonathan Eisen, an evolutionary biologist and Open Access advocate
at the University of California, Davis. For short updates, follow me on Twitter.

——–

Moore Foundation: Request for Expressions of Interest: Increasing the Potential of Marine Microeukaryotes as Experimental Model Systems through the Development of Genetic Tools

Got this from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and they said I could post it here.

Request for Expressions of Interest: Increasing the Potential of Marine Microeukaryotes as Experimental Model Systems through the Development of Genetic Tools

Marine Microbiology Initiative Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation November 21, 2014

The Marine Microbiology Initiative (MMI) at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation aims to enable scientists to uncover the principles that govern the interactions among microbes and that influence nutrient flow in the marine environment. MMI is targeting closing gaps in and supporting the advancement of experimental model systems in microbial oceanography to enable new ways to uncover fundamental biological mechanisms.

We are soliciting expressions of interest (EOIs) for early-stage research projects to develop methods to genetically manipulate marine microeukaryotes as a first step in breaking current bottlenecks in the advancement of experimental model systems. MMI has two primary foci for this expression of interest:

  1. Development of genetic tools for diatoms. Diatoms are key players in the world’s oceans, generating ~20% of the world’s organic carbon, and a strong community of researchers is in place suggesting broad use of successfully developed methods. We are specifically interested in projects to develop reverse and/or forward genetics.
  2. Screening laboratory-scale culture collections for transformable marine microeukaryotes.

MMI will also consider projects to develop genetic tools and methods with other microeukaryotes that show promise for expanding the way the field can test hypotheses. If your idea does not fit category 1 or 2 above, please contact us prior to submitting your EOI.

MMI encourages EOIs from “inter-organismal” teams of researchers – i.e., complementary groups that have experience in a well-established model system and with a microeukaryote that is not currently genetically tractable – whose collaborative effort will bring innovative approaches to the field.

MMI invites you to send an expression of interest via email that briefly outlines a research project (one paragraph or less), using the following template:

  1. The lead researcher’s name, institution, and expertise.
  2. Indication of focus on genetic tools for diatoms (category 1 above) or laboratory culture screening for transformability (category 2 above).
  3. For category 1, the name of the organism(s); or, for category 2, the taxonomic group(s) to be screened. 
  4. A methodological or technical challenge that is hindering the development of a genetically manipulable marine microeukaryotic system that is ripe for solving and how you would address this challenge (3-5 sentences).
  5. The research team that would tackle this challenge, and why each team member’s expertise is relevant (one sentence per team member; please include institutional affiliations).

The opportunities that best align with MMI’s strategies and goals will be invited to submit proposals. MMI has allocated $7–10M to support this effort and anticipates making multiple, 2–3 year awards beginning in mid- 2015.

 Please submit your EOI by Tuesday January 6, 2015 to Samantha Forde at samantha.forde@moore.org.

page1image24792

——–
This is from the “Tree of Life Blog”
of Jonathan Eisen, an evolutionary biologist and Open Access advocate
at the University of California, Davis. For short updates, follow me on Twitter.

——–

Post-doc w/ me, Jessica Green, Jay Stachowicz, and Jenna Lang on seagrass microbiomes

Postdoctoral Position in Microbial Ecology and Evolution
Jessica Green at the University of Oregon Green (http://pages.uoregon.edu/green/) is currently seeking a postdoctoral researcher to explore fundamental questions in microbial ecology and evolution. Applicants should have a PhD in a biological, computational, mathematical, or statistical field with extensive training using theory and/or modeling to understand the ecology and evolution of complex biological communities, and strong writing skills. Experience developing and applying quantitative phylogenetic ecological methods is highly desirable, but not explicitly required for candidates who have otherwise demonstrated strong quantitative skills.
The successful candidate will play a key role in the Seagrass Microbiome Project (http://seagrassmicrobiome.org) in collaboration among Jonathan Eisen https://phylogenomics.wordpress.com), Jay Stachowicz http://www-eve.ucdavis.edu/stachowicz/stachowicz.shtml, and Jenna Lang (http://jennomics.com/) at the University of California, Davis. The Seagrass Microbiome Project aims to integrate the long interest in seagrass ecology and ecosystem science with more recent work on microbiomes to produce a deeper, more mechanistic understanding of the ecology and evolution of seagrasses and the ecosystems on which they depend. Our studies of the community of microorganisms that live in and on seagrasses – the seagrass “microbiome” – will contribute to a broader understanding of host-microbe systems biology, and will benefit from ongoing University of Oregon research programs including the Microbial Ecology and Theory of Animals Center for Systems Biology (http://meta.uoregon.edu/) and the Biology and Built Environment Center (http://biobe.uoregon.edu/).
The position is available for 1 year with the possibility for renewal depending on performance. The start date is flexible. Please email questions regarding the position to Jessica Green (jlgreen).
To apply
A complete application will consist of the following materials:
(1) a brief cover letter explaining your background and career interests
(2) CV (including publications)
(3) names and contact information for three references
Submit materials to ie2jobs. Subject: Posting 14431
To ensure consideration, please submit applications by November 1, 2014, but the position will remain open until filled.
Women and minorities encouraged to apply. We invite applications from qualified candidates who share our commitment to diversity.
The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the ADA. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply, and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status.
——–
This is from the “Tree of Life Blog”
of Jonathan Eisen, an evolutionary biologist and Open Access advocate
at the University of California, Davis. For short updates, follow me on Twitter.

——–

Post-doc w/ me, Jessica Green, Jay Stachowicz, and Jenna Lang on seagrass microbiomes

Postdoctoral Position in Microbial Ecology and Evolution

Jessica Green at the University of Oregon Green (http://pages.uoregon.edu/green/) is currently seeking a postdoctoral researcher to explore fundamental questions in microbial ecology and evolution. Applicants should have a PhD in a biological, computational, mathematical, or statistical field with extensive training using theory and/or modeling to understand the ecology and evolution of complex biological communities, and strong writing skills. Experience developing and applying quantitative phylogenetic ecological methods is highly desirable, but not explicitly required for candidates who have otherwise demonstrated strong quantitative skills.

The successful candidate will play a key role in the Seagrass Microbiome Project (http://seagrassmicrobiome.org) in collaboration among Jonathan Eisen https://phylogenomics.wordpress.com), Jay Stachowicz http://www-eve.ucdavis.edu/stachowicz/stachowicz.shtml, and Jenna Lang (http://jennomics.com/) at the University of California, Davis. The Seagrass Microbiome Project aims to integrate the long interest in seagrass ecology and ecosystem science with more recent work on microbiomes to produce a deeper, more mechanistic understanding of the ecology and evolution of seagrasses and the ecosystems on which they depend. Our studies of the community of microorganisms that live in and on seagrasses – the seagrass “microbiome” – will contribute to a broader understanding of host-microbe systems biology, and will benefit from ongoing University of Oregon research programs including the Microbial Ecology and Theory of Animals Center for Systems Biology (http://meta.uoregon.edu/) and the Biology and Built Environment Center (http://biobe.uoregon.edu/).

The position is available for 1 year with the possibility for renewal depending on performance. The start date is flexible. Please email questions regarding the position to Jessica Green (jlgreen).

To apply

A complete application will consist of the following materials:

(1) a brief cover letter explaining your background and career interests

(2) CV (including publications)

(3) names and contact information for three references

Submit materials to ie2jobs. Subject: Posting 14431

To ensure consideration, please submit applications by November 1, 2014, but the position will remain open until filled.

Women and minorities encouraged to apply. We invite applications from qualified candidates who share our commitment to diversity.

The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the ADA. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply, and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status.

Postdoc on HGT & genome evolution – Jeff Palmer & Claude dePamphilis

POSTDOC ON HORIZONTAL GENE TRANSFER AND GENOME EVOLUTION

An NSF-funded

postdoctoral position is available to work on a collaborative project between the labs of Dr. Jeff Palmer (Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington) and Dr. Claude dePamphilis (Department of Biology, Penn State University, University Park). This project is a follow-up to papers on the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes of the basal angiosperm Amborella that were led by our labs and published in the Dec. 20, 2013 issue of Science. The project focuses on evolutionary gene transfer, including transfer of mitochondrial and plastid sequences to the nucleus of Amborella, and the extensive horizontal transfer of foreign mitochondrial sequences to the mitochondrion of Amborella.

This

is a strictly bioinformatic/comparative genomic project involving extensive analysis of genome-scale sequence data. A Ph.D. in computational biology, evolutionary genetics, or a related field is required, and proficiency in computer programming is expected. Competitive candidates will have a strong record of prior publication in genome-scale data analysis, including bioinformatic pipeline construction, phylogenomics, and/or genome evolution. This position is funded for two years, with continued appointment dependent upon availability of funding. Salary will be commensurate with experience, and full benefits are included.

To apply,

please submit, as a single unified PDF, a cover letter detailing research interests and experience, a C.V., and contact information for three professional references to jpalmer) or Claude dePamphilis (cwd3).

Indiana University

is an equal employment and affirmative action employer and a provider of ADA services. All

qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ethnicity, color, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, disability status, or protected veteran status.

Postdoc on HGT & genome evolution in plants – Jeff Palmer & Claude dePamphilis.docx

Repeated, extremely biased ratio of M:F at meetings from SFB 680 "Evolutionary Innovations" group #YAMMM

Well, this is disappointing, to say the least – there is a conference coming up in July 2015 on “Forecasting Evolution”:  SFB 680 | Molecular Basis of Evolutionary Innovations at the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon.

Here is the listed lineup of invited speakers:

  1. Andersson (Uppsala University), (NOTE I AM ASSUMING THIS IS DAN ANDERSSON)
  2. Trevor Bedford (Hutchinson Cancer Research Center), 
  3. Jesse Bloom (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center), 
  4. Arup Chakraborty (MIT)
  5. Michael Desai (Harvard University), 
  6. Michael Doebeli (University of British Columbia), 
  7. Marco Gerlinger (Institute of Cancer Research, London, 
  8. Michael Hochberg (CRNS, Montpellier), 
  9. Christopher Illingworth (Cambridge University), 
  10. Roy Kishoni (Harvard University), 
  11. Richard Lenski (Michigan State University), 
  12. Stanislas Leibler (Rockefeller University), 
  13. Marta Luksza (IAS Princeton), 
  14. Luke Mahler (University of California, Davis), 
  15. Leonid Mirny (MIT), 
  16. Richard Neher (MPI Tuebingen), 
  17. Julian Parkhill (Sanger Institute), 
  18. Colin Russell (University of Cambridge), 
  19. Sohrab Shah (University of British Columbia), 
  20. Boris Shraiman (UCSB), 
  21. Olivier Tenaillon (Inserm Paris).

For a whopping 20:1 ratio of men to women or 4.8% women. And this in a field that is just overflowing with excellent female researchers.

So I dug around a little bit.  Here is another meeting from the same group at the University of Cologne – a group known as SFB 680. SFB 680: Molecular Ecology and Evolution: Cologne Spring Meeting 2012.

Speakers:

  1. Ian Thomas Baldwin, MPI Jena
  2. Nitin Baliga, ISB Seattle 
  3. Andrew Beckerman, University of Sheffield 
  4. Joy Bergelson, University of Chicago
  5. Michael Boots, University of Sheffield 
  6. John Colbourne, Indiana University 
  7. David Conway, LSHTM London
  8. Santiago Elena, IBMCP Valencia
  9. Duncan Greig, MPI Plön 
  10. Bryan Grenfell, Princeton University 
  11. Eddie Holmes, Pennsylvania State University 
  12. Peter Keightley, University of Edinburgh
  13. Britt Koskella, University of Oxford
  14. Juliette de Meaux, University of Münster 
  15. Thomas Mitchell-Olds, Duke University
  16. Hélène Morlon, Ecole Polytechnique Paris 
  17. Wayne Potts, University of Utah 
  18. Michael Purugganan, New York University
  19. Andrew Rambaut, University of Edinburgh 
  20. Walter Salzburger, University of Basel 
  21. Johanna Schmitt, Brown University
  22. Ralf Sommer, MPI Tübingen
  23. Miltos Tsiantis, University of Oxford 
  24. Diethardt Tautz, MPI Plön 
  25. Daniel Weinreich, Brown University

Session and Meeting Chairs:

  1. Michael Lassig
  2. Maarten Koornneef
  3. Eric von Elert
  4. Thomas Wiehe
  5. Jonathan Howard

That would be 25:5 or 16.6% female.

And then there was this: Perspectives in Biophysics in October 2014. 

  1. Konstantin Doubrovinski
  2. Tobias Bollenbach
  3. Stefano Pagliara
  4. Damien Faivre
  5. Ingmar Schön
  6. Kurt Schmoller
  7. Max Ulbrich
  8. Florian Rehfeld
  9. Steffen Sahl
  10. Timo Betz
  11. Alexandre Persat
  1. Rubén Alcázar (MPI for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne)
  2. John Baines (Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel)
  3. Thomas Bataillon (University of Aarhus)
  4. Frank Chan (MPI for Evolutionary Biology, Plön)
  5. George Coupland (MPI for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne)
  6. Susanne Foitzik (Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz)
  7. Isabel Gordo (Instituto Gulbenkian, Lisbon)
  8. Oskar Hallatschek (MPI for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen
  9. Jonathan Howard (University of Cologne)
  10. JinYong Hu (MPI for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne)
  11. Jeffrey Jensen (University of Massachusetts, Medical School, Worchester)
  12. Michael Lässig (University of Cologne)
  13. Dirk Metzler (Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich)
  14. Ville Mustonen (Welcome Trust Sanger Institute)
  15. John Parsch (Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich)
  16. Frank Rosenzweig (University of Montana, Missoula)
  17. Christian Schlötterer (University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna)
  18. Shamil Sunyaev (Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School) 
  19. Karl Schmid (University of Hohenheim)
  20. Ana Sousa (Instituto Gulbenkian, Lisbon)
  21. Diethard Tautz (MPI for Evolutionary Biology, Plön)
  22. Xavier Vekemans (University of Lille)
Session and Meeting Chairs
  • Wolfgang Stephan
  • Michael Lässig
  • Berenike Maier
  • Wolfgang Stephan
  • Peter Pfaffelhuber
  • Juliette de Meaux

For a 19:3 ratio or 13.6 % women for the speakers and if you include session chairs it comes to 23:5 or 18 % female total.

And Evolutionary Innovations in 2010. 

Invited speakers:

  1. R. Bundschuh (Ohio State University), 
  2. C. Callan (Princeton University),
  3. A. Clark (Cornell University), 
  4. J. Colbourne (Indiana University),
  5. E. Dekel (Weizmann Institute),
  6. L. Hurst (University of Bath), 
  7. S. Elena (Universidad Polytecnica de Valencia), 
  8. E. Koonin (National Center for Biotechnology Information), 
  9. M. Kreitman (University of Chicago),
  10. S. Leibler (Rockefeller University, New York and Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton),
  11. T. Lengauer (Max Planck Institute for Informatics), 
  12. S. Maerkl (Ecole Polytechnique de Lausanne), 
  13. C. Marx (Harvard University), 
  14. L. Mirny (Massachusetts Intitute of Technology), 
  15. V. Mustonen (Sanger Institute), 
  16. C. Pal (Biological Research Center, Szeged),
  17. D. Petrov (Stanford University), 
  18. B. Shraiman (Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, Santa Barbara),
  19. S. Sunyaev (Harvard University), 
  20. D. Tautz (Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Biology)
Plus session chairs 
  1. Johannes Berg
  2. Siegfried Roth
  3. Wolfgang Werr
  4. Martin Lercher
And addition speakers not listed on their invited speakers page:
  1. Michael Lassig
  2. Ruben Alcazar
  3. Juliette de Meaux
  4. Joachim Krug

For a whopping ratio of 27:1 or 3.6 %

The only meeting from them I could find with a decent / non massively skewed ratio was the following very small one: Evolution of Development

  1. Cassandra Extavour
  2. Angela Hay
  3. Felicity Jones
  4. Nicolas Gompe
  5. Kristen Panfillio
  6. Christiane Kiefer
This is a nice case.  But it really seems like an exception in a long list of meetings with a much smaller representation of female speakers than one would expect based on the researchers in the fields.   I think the SFB680 seriously need to consider what is causing these biases and they should do something about it.

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See this page for other posts of mine on this and related topics.

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This is from the “Tree of Life Blog”
of Jonathan Eisen, an evolutionary biologist and Open Access advocate
at the University of California, Davis. For short updates, follow me on Twitter.

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